Serpent's Rescuer
by Princess Mariana
Summary: Ariana Potter shocked her parents at her fascination for Tom Riddle. When she is nine, she is sent into the past, to his world. There she willing starts to trust him to save Hogwarts. The Dumbledore brothers, who took her in, try to ward Tom off. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own the Harry Potter series. (Shocker) Contains spoilers. Read the books before reading this. Read and review**

Harry and Ginny Potter were in their late forties and Ginny had just given birth to their youngest. They couldn't decide what to name her. "What about Molly, after your mum?" Harry suggested.

"No," Ginny said, shaking her head while staring at her beautiful baby, "It doesn't fit. It needs to be special. What about Helen?"

It was Harry's turn to shake his head, "She'd be named after someone who started a war because of her beauty. We named our children after our friends, but none of our friends' names fit."

They both stared at the unnamed baby for a moment, then inspiration hit. "I know!" Ginny cried, "What about Ariana, after Dumbledore's sister?"

Harry nodded vigorously, "It's perfect!"

"Tell me again how Tom opened the Chamber of Secrets again!" six year old Ariana Potter begged her father.

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other. It was Ariana's bedtime and they were telling her a bedtime story. Ever since Harry had told Ariana about Tom Riddle when she was four, she had had a growing interest of him and his process to become Lord Voldemort. Unlike her siblings and cousin, actually everyone in the wizarding world, Ariana wasn't scared of Voldemort. Even James, Ariana's older brother, who was always cheery and rarely afraid, shivered at the mention of Voldemort's name. But Ariana was different. Instead of being nervous and afraid of Voldemort, she was fascinated by him. And she usually called him Tom when referring to him in his childhood.

"Ariana," Ginny cautiously said to her daughter, "why is it that you're not afraid of Voldemort, but are instead interested in his history?"

Ariana cocked her head, "Why should I be? Daddy killed him. And he is so interesting because he just is. Anyways, I think everyone judges him too harshly. It's not like he had the perfect childhood. If you two abandoned me at birth because of foolish reasons, I would probably want my revenge."

Ginny nodded, concealing her emotions well, while Harry looked shocked. Ginny, to make sure Ariana didn't notice his reaction, ended up telling Ariana the Chamber of Secrets story, again.

Back in their room, with a charm to make sure no one heard them, Harry and Ginny discussed Ariana. "I can't believe it!" Harry burst out. "I can't believe she defended him! She feels sorry for Voldemort, the murder who killed my parents, her grandparents. Even in death, he can't let our family alone."

"She did have a point, but I agree with you," Ginny said, "Image all the trouble she could get in if she told people her views."

"Yeah, especially at Hogwarts when someone says that Voldemort was a total git," Harry replied, "she would defend him - maybe even call him 'Tom.' Imagine what would happen to her."

One day, when Ariana was nine, Harry and Ginny left her with her three siblings and two siblings-in-laws. "So what do you want to do?" Albus, Ariana's twenty-seven year old brother, asked Ariana, ruffling her shoulder length blondish-brown hair.

Ariana thought a moment before her eyes lit up and she answered him, "Can we go to Tom Riddle's old orphanage?"

James, Albus, and Lily, Ariana's twenty-five year old sister, glanced at each other. "Alright," said Lily.

Albus took out his wand and took Ariana's hand. The group Disapparated. When they arrived at the old orphanage, they saw that it was in ruins. Ariana ran over to the stones and seemed to know exactly were Tom's old room had been. Albus took Mary's, his wife's, hand. And James put his arm around his wife, Teresa. The five friends smiled a little while they watched little Ariana dig through the rubble. She found a plaque that had something written on it in small letters. Squinting, she read softly aloud, so her group wouldn't hear, "Please rescue me from my misery. Please make my future better. Please save me. I have made this rock so one can do so, altering the past without time travel's complication. Please help me by touching this rock and saving 'I will.'"

As soon as the words 'I will' left Ariana's mouth, she felt like she was being blown away by a strange wind. She heard Albus cry, "Ariana!" then everything went black.

When she awoke, Ariana was on a cot somewhere and a man with tinted red hair and a long beard was looking at her with interest. "Hello," Ariana said sleepily, "Who are you?"

The man smiled and his blue eyes twinkled, "I was about to ask you that. I am Albus Dumbledore."

"Oh, I'm Ariana Potter," Ariana replied before his words sank in. "What!" she cried, "You're Albus Dumbledore? But you've been dead for years!"

Dumbledore looked at her in interest and a little guilt and sadness, "I'm sorry, but I'm quite alive. Perhaps you could tell me about yourself and we might be able to find the answer to this strange occurrence."

And Ariana told him all about herself. Even though he was a complete stranger she trusted him. She told him about her family and what her father had done and about her life, all in a brief summary. "The Hallows," Dumbledore whispered to himself when she had finished. He turned to her again, "What do you know of the Hallows and myself that you learned from your parents?"

Ariana obliged, hesitating when she talked about his sister. Dumbledore nodded and sat back, eyes closed, "I think I know what happened. It is impossible for you to know about my life so much unless you are from the future. That plaque said that you would alter the past without complications. I believe you are from the future."

Ariana stared at him, eyes wide, "What year?"

"1941."

Fear overwhelmed her, then realization hit, "You mean I'm in Tom Riddle's time?"

"I can check. He'd be about your age in an orphanage, wouldn't he?" Dumbledore replied.

Ariana nodded, "I would tell you more about him, but that might change the future too much."

"What are you going to do about being in this time?"

Ariana hesitated and said, "I know that time turners haven't been invented yet, so I can't go back. Do you think I can stay here, somehow?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I could tell the ministry that I found you wandering the forest with your memory gone. You could then enroll at Hogwarts when you turn eleven, but in the meantime, where would you live?"

Ariana thought for a moment, "I could go to an orphanage."

"But then you might turn out like you said Tom Riddle did, or will," Dumbledore countered. The sat in silence for awhile before Dumbledore suggested, "We could have someone adopt you…my brother might."

"You mean Aberforth Dumbledore, but why would he believe us? I mean, no offense, but he isn't exactly your best friend."

Dumbledore nodded sadly, "Yes, but he wouldn't be doing it for me, but for you. You and my sister both share the same name and almost appearance, but, more than anything, you two share the same personality."

"Alright."

The two set off and Dumbledore explained how he had found her. "You were lying on the ground by Hogwarts' gate," he stated.

When they reached the Hog's Head Inn, Dumbledore hesitated before going in. There was a man with the same color hair as Dumbledore walking towards them. Ariana had seen Aberforth before, but when he was a lot older. "Albus, what are you doing here?" Aberforth cried angrily, "I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you!"

Dumbledore looked very miserable as he quietly said, "Let's sit down and I can explain."

Still glaring at his brother, Aberforth nodded and did so. "Now," he growled when they were sitting around a table, "what do you want?"

"It's about Ariana Potter," Dumbledore replied.

Aberforth flinched and then looked at Ariana curiously. Dumbledore took this opportunity to explain all about her. "And you want me to adopt her?" Aberforth ended for his brother.

Dumbledore nodded, "I would, but, as I said before, Tom Riddle doesn't, or won't, like me and I don't want to endanger her."

"What if," Aberforth hesitated and then continued, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but what if we both adopted her, since neither one of us would do the greatest job of raising her or not endangering her, alone."

Dumbledore looked at the so-far silent Ariana, "What do you think?"

Ariana quickly considered, "I could sleep and eat and stuff in the Room of Requirement, but stay in the village."

"The Room of Requirement can't make food," Aberforth said thoughtfully. "I could provide that. Maybe even the house-elves of Hogwarts can help. But which one of us would adopt her. We both can't, legally."

There was a long pause before Aberforth volunteered, "I'll do it. It'll get complex if you do it, Albus, because you're a professor. I can't believe I'm working with you over an Ariana again."

And it was so. Dumbledore told the ministry that he had found her wandering about with no memory and Aberforth had decided to adopt her. She ate and slept in the Room of Requirement, and played at the village. Dumbledore and Aberforth soon started loving her as a daughter and the two brothers, with the help of Ariana, started to forget the past and become friends once more. Ariana was very happy and was glad that her father had insisted she carry around the Marauder's Map, even though she wasn't at Hogwarts, and the Invisibility Cloak. She loved watching people walking around on the map and then following them in the Cloak.

The two years quickly and happily passed. Soon it was time for Dumbledore to meet Tom Riddle. Ariana begged to go to the orphanage with Dumbledore who reluctantly agreed on terms that she must try to stay hidden. Ariana agreed. When they arrived at the orphanage, Dumbledore spotted the children playing outside. Dumbledore decided to come back later, when everyone was inside. Ariana managed to get Dumbledore to agree to leave her there.

Ariana climbed a tree that, even if she hadn't been wearing the cloak, the children wouldn't be able see her in it. She watched them curiously for she hadn't seen anyone her age in two years, since all the Hogwarts students were older than her.

A boy about her age was different from the rest. He didn't play with the other children. Instead he sat alone, very still. Suddenly, he stood up and walked over to the tree Ariana was in. He seemed to stare up at her. "Why are you invisible?" he said in a cold voice.

Ariana fell out of the tree in shock. The cloak slipped as she carefully landed on her feet, through her uncontrolled magic. "Hello," the now visible Ariana greeted him.

Instead of greeting her back, he stared at her, "Who are you?"

She looked over his rudeness and answered, "I'm Ariana Evans." Just in case someone knew her ancestors or she ran into them, Ariana decided to change her last name to her grandmother's maiden name.

"I am Tom Riddle," Tom Riddle curtly replied.

Surprise flickered across Ariana's face, "Oh! You're the one my adoptive uncle wants to talk to!"

Tom was about to reply when Dumbledore walked over to them. "Ariana," he scolded, "I told you to stay hidden."

"I'm sorry," Ariana said guiltily. "I fell out of the tree."

Tom watched Dumbledore curiously, and he had every right to because Dumbledore was wearing wizard robes. "Tom Riddle, this is my uncle, Professor Dumbledore. Professor, this is Tom Riddle."

Dumbledore smiled kindly at Tom, "Nice to meet you. I will need to talk to your matron. Maybe Ariana could explain things to you in the time being."

Ariana nodded and Tom led them to Mrs. Cole. "I sent you a letter saying that I was coming. Is it alright if I leave Ariana with Tom while we talk?" Dumbledore said to the woman. She nodded and told Tom, "You can go to your room with 'Ariana.'"

Tom nodded and went inside, followed by Ariana. He led her to his room where the both sat down. As soon as his door closed, Tom asked, "Is your uncle a doctor?"

"No and he doesn't think you're mad, either," Ariana answered. Then she explained all about the wizarding world and Hogwarts.

"Prove it," Tom commanded.

Ariana hesitated, "I don't have a wand yet, but I can try."

She closed her eyes and it began to rain in the room. After thirty seconds of raining, it lessoned a bit. Dumbledore walked in at this moment and, luckily, made sure no one outside of the room saw the rain. The professor took out his wand, waved it, and everything dried up as the rain stopped coming. "I suppose you have been told about Hogwarts," Dumbledore said to Tom who nodded, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's wand.

"Tomorrow we will get your supplies," Dumbledore continued.

Tom glanced at Ariana, "Are you going?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "I'm going to Hogwarts too."

To her surprise, he nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Outside, Ariana told Dumbledore, "I think I've just change history! He's supposed to want to go alone and the way he was staring at me was very weird."

Dumbledore smiled, "If you were him and suddenly someone his age that is friendly and did not hold grudges and that can also do magic, appears."

Ariana nodded, trying to understand.

_In the future, (future things are always in italics) Albus picked up the plaque and walked out of the ruble. When he looked back at the orphanage, it wasn't a ruin anymore. He looked around at his sibling who didn't seem to notice a thing. "Wasn't that building destroyed?" Albus asked his companions, puzzled._

_ "No, of course not," Mary told him, "It was a real mystery, remember, because Voldemort was going to destroy it, but something changed his mind. Anyways, we have to find your sister. What is that thing you're carrying?"_

_ Albus stared at her, startled, then handed her the plaque. As soon as she touched it, surprise covered her face. "You're right, Albus, it was in ruin. But I also remember it not being so."_

On the train to Hogwarts, Ariana stared out the window of her empty compartment. The door slid open and she looked up. Tom Riddle stood there. "Can I sit here? All the compartments are full," he asked her politely. She nodded and he sat down across from her. He had changed since their first meeting. He now was very polite and kind. Her father had told her about this transformation, but it was still strange. There was an awkward silence before Ariana spoke up, "Just out of curiosity, do you want me to call you by your first name, or last?"

"First," he automatically replied. The awkward silence continued until the door opened again. A redhead stepped in. "Hi!" he said as Ariana examined him. He looked awfully familiar. He continued, "I'm George Weasley! Everywhere else is full. Mind if I sit here?"

There was a silence before Ariana quietly said, "Sure."

It was really strange seeing her great-grandfather so young, not that she had ever seen him before. George Weasley sat down next to Tom, still smiling. "I presume you two are first years. I'm a second year in Gryffindor," he announced.

Ariana quietly said, "I am Ariana Evans, and this is Tom Riddle."

"What house do you want to be in?" he asked them, "I hope not Slytherin. You two look like nice people."

"There's nothing wrong with Slytherin!" Ariana cried, shyness forgotten. "Just because dark wizards and snobby purebloods are in it doesn't make it bad!"

George held up his hands defensively, "Sorry, but all the Slytherins I've met are complete gits."

"What is a pureblood?" Tom asked politely.

"You must be muggle-born. Purebloods are people who come from a line of wizards. Muggle-borns are people who have muggles for parents. Half-bloods are the mix," George explained.

"I'm not muggle-born," Tom informed him, "but I wasn't raised in the wizarding world."

George raised his eyebrows, but didn't question what that meant. Instead he asked them again, "So what houses do you aim to be in?"

"Slytherin," Tom and Ariana replied at the same time. Ariana continued, "Or Gryffindor."

The rest of the train ride went by in silence.

As the first years were led toward the sorting hat, Ariana began to worry. Albus had told her that this was the worst part of Hogwarts: waiting to be sorted.

"Evans, Ariana," Dumbledore called when it was her turn.

She slowly walked up to the hat, sat down, and put it on her head. It instantly cried, "Gryffindor!"

the Gryffindor table clapped and cheered. Smiling she headed over. When Tom was sorted, it took a shorter time for him. "Slytherin!" it cried.

When the sorting was done and the feast had begun, Ariana noticed she was sitting next to George Weasley. "I'm glad you were placed in Gryffindor. I wish that boy was here too. He didn't seem to be the bad type."

Ariana smiled at the irony, "I think he'll become a great wizard."

They both ate in silence before George asked, "What subject do you think will be your favorite? Mine is Transfiguration, but I'm awful at it. Professor Dumbledore's the best."

"I think I'll like that one too, but Defense Against the Dark Arts sounds fascinating," she replied.

They continued to talk about the different subjects before Professor Dippet told them the announcements and they were sent to bed. "First years!" the Gryffindor prefects called, "First years this way!" They obliged and followed the prefects to the Gryffindor common room.

The next day, Ariana went to History of Magic, taught by Professor Binns. She soon found that this was a very boring class. It was hard to stay awake and most of the class was asleep in the first five minutes of class. Ariana had to keep pinching herself to stay awake and take notes, but Tom, who was in all her classes, managed to stay awake without any means at all. When class was over, Ariana was more than ready to fall asleep, but she had to go to double potions class with the Slytherins.

"Hello," Professor Slughorn, the potions master, told the first years, "We'll start at making the potion Corwell. Does anyone know what that is?"

Ariana thought for a second, and then remembered from a book she had read in the Room of Requirement. Her hand shot up in the air, right after Tom's. Professor Slughorn pointed to Tom. "It cleans and heals minor cuts," Tom said simply.

"Correct!" Professor Slughorn cried, "Ten points to Slytherin. Now the second page of your books tells you how to make it. Start, now!"

Everyone quickly gathered the needed ingredients. For the next hour everyone attempted to make the potion, but in the end, Tom and Ariana were the only ones to have finished correctly. Most of the students' were smoking and smelling bad. The very pleased Slughorn awarded both Tom and Ariana twenty points each.

After Potions, Ariana went to lunch. This time, she did not sit by George Weasley. Most of the first years had already joined a group to be friends with. Ariana didn't mind. She liked working alone. That way she couldn't be betrayed or worry about betraying. After lunch, Ariana went to Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, then supper. This became her daily routine, except on weekends. On those days, she read.

Many months past and suddenly it was summer. Ariana was a little sad, but glad to be done with school.

**As you might've guessed, **_**hopefully**_** guessed, Ariana and Tom Riddle have basically no kind of relationship…yet. Ariana might seem perfect, but she gets more imperfect and the reason for her being the way she is will reveal itself eventually. **

**Please continue reading and review. If you have questions, put them in the review and I will answer them on this page. **

**Thank you for reading,**

**Princess Mariana**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Harry Potter. Anything that you recognize is probably not mine. You should read the books before reading this. Contains spoilers. **

"George, George Weasley!" Ariana called after the third year.

He turned. "Yes?"

"Where are the teachers?" she asked when she had caught up. "In all of my classes, there have been no teachers."

"Same here," he said with a grin. "Isn't it great?"

Ariana opened her mouth to reply, but a loud voice said throughout the school, "All students go to the Great Hall. Your teachers are gone. You will all be shown the power of Grindelwald!"

Thoughts whizzed through Ariana's head as she thought of what to do. Without warning, she started running for the seventh floor opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. When she reached her destination, she paced back and forth three times, thinking, _I need a place that looks like the Great Hall and only students can enter and where the Great Hall doors open up to…_

A door formed on the wall and Ariana darted in. Through another door, scared looking students were coming in. The room looked identical to the Great Hall. Soon all the students of the school were there. Everyone was whispering and looking scared. No one seemed to be taking charge.

"Ariana," a voice whispered from next to her, "what are we going to do?"

It was George. Ariana thought for a moment before taking out her wand. She pointed it at her throat and muttered, "_Sonorus!_"

Ariana took a deep breath and said, her voice magically magnified, "Quiet!" the hall was instantly silent, and everyone turned to look at her. "Where are the head boy and girl?"

Someone said, "They're gone, with all the teachers."

"Where are the prefects?" Ariana asked, trying not to be discouraged.

"Here," a few scared voices said.

"Do any of you want to take over?" Ariana inquired to be met with silence.

Ariana hated the idea but knew that someone had to be in charge. "Okay, then," she said, her voice still loud. "Prefects, please organize the students of your house into their appropriate years and make sure everyone is here. You all should have lists of your house's members."

About five minutes later, there were twenty-eight lines of students. "Excuse me, Miss," one of the prefects said and Ariana gave her an odd look at being called 'Miss'. "Martine Alfcome and Lauren Talien are missing. They are Slytherins in the third year."

Ariana thought for a moment about who she should send to go after them. It had to be someone they trusted and Ariana didn't know them so she didn't know who they trusted. Then the thought struck her. Hesitantly, she walked over to the row of second year Slytherins to a certain black haired boy. "Um, Tom," she said tentatively.

Before she could continue, he said it for her, "You want me to find those Slytherins?"

Ariana nodded and he left. Ariana gave a small sigh of relief; she hadn't talked to him in awhile and didn't know whether he would do it. She made her way to her former position. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Tom to return. A few minutes later, he came back, followed by two Slytherins. He guided them to their line and went back to his own line. Ariana gave him a thankful look.

"Raise your hand if you want to fight and defend Hogwarts," Ariana commanded. "Everyone except for first years, that is! And do not raise your hand if you can not fight or are afraid to hurt your opponent or are afraid of being hurt."

About three fourths of the school raised their hands. _I need a well protected room for the people who did not raise their hands,_ Ariana thought, and a large door appeared.

"People who raised their hands, stay put! Everyone else, go through those doors," Ariana said.

Once those people had left, Ariana asked for people who were good at healing. About fifty people raised their hands. Ariana sent half of them through the doors for the people who did not want to fight. With the other half, she set them to the side as she addressed everyone else, "Listen carefully. I will be putting everyone into groups. I have a goal in mind to have no one die. I hope you also wish that. If someone gets injured, shoot up blue sparks and one of them," she gestured to the people she had set aside, "will come to your aid, taking away that person and bringing them back here to heal them. If most of your group is injured, go back to safety to join another group that will be created here.

"Who here knows how to do a Patronus and wants to fight Dementors?"

Six people raised their hands. Ariana directed two of them to the door and the rest of them in a corner. "Who knows how to ward off really evil beasts like werewolves and giants?" she asked.

No one raised their hands. There was along silence before someone raised their hand. It was Tom Riddle. _Great,_ she thought, _one person._

Tom Riddle stepped out of his line and went around the students, taking out about thirty people. He told her, "These people," he gestured at them, "know how to heal."

Ariana looked them all in the eyes and said in a very quiet voice which made them all look away, "Why didn't you volunteer?"

None of them replied. Then Ariana seemed to know. _They don't trust me,_ she thought. _But they do trust Tom, maybe not as a friend, but as their leader._

Ariana turned to Tom and asked him, "Where do you think they should go, Tom?"

Tom shared his idea with her and she sorted them into the groups he suggested. After that, Ariana started to make sure Tom was in the entire decision making process and everything else. He helped her command everyone, and had pretty good ideas and suggestions.

A lot more signals were made known, but no other groups of people for a certain area were made. When it was time to put everyone into groups, Ariana did little. Since Tom seemed to know the whole school, he knew who would go well with whom. Then it was time for battle. Ariana mentally asked the room for many openings for people to go out so that the groups were scattered around the building.

"So are we the team that walks around the battle and helps random people out?" Tom asked Ariana.

Ariana nodded as they watched all of the groups leaving the room. Ariana sighed and let the spell to magnify her voice fade. "Are you afraid at all?" he said.

Ariana shrugged and replied, "I'm only afraid that someone might die. I don't think they attacked here for the building. I think they attacked for Dumbledore. Grindelwald knows that to kill Dumbledore a fair number of students have to survive, so I'm not too afraid about people dying.

"To answer your question, I'm not too afraid."

Tom nodded and they departed through one of the door which led them outside of the castle. Ariana noticed many red sparks from one place. That meant very dangerous creatures were in the area. She saw that Tom saw them to and she nodded at him. They sprinted in the direction of the sparks. Two giants were walking towards a group of frightened students.

Ariana knew that it was almost impossible for two twelve year olds to defeat a giant and she knew that she and Tom had to do it. "When I tell you, stun the giants on the head," Ariana told him, taking out her wand.

Tom nodded with an odd look on his face. "Good luck," he whispered as she took a deep breath to perform a complex spell.

_"I don't know what we should do," Harry said after he had touched the plaque. _

_All of their family and friends had touched it and remembered two different realities. "If we think of the differences, we can think of what happened," Neville said. _

"_Tom Riddle acted differently," Ginny said. "He seemed more cautious of me in the now reality than the other reality."_

"_Let's name the now reality, reality one and the other reality, reality two," Luna suggested. _

"_Good idea," Neville complimented her. _

"_I remember hating Tom Riddle for some reason," Aberforth remembered. "I think it was because of my adoptive daughter. Now that I think about it, in reality two, I never adopted Ariana."_

"_What was that Ariana's last name?" Harry quickly asked him. _

"_Evans, I believe," Aberforth recalled. _

"_That means," Harry guessed, "that Ariana went to the past and has created two different realities. Ariana wouldn't have kept her real last name. She might've picked Evans, after my mother's last name. That means she met…she met Tom Riddle if she was sent in the past!"_

**Loud suspenseful music! Ha, ha! Cliffhanger! You'll probably have to review to know what happens. Please ask questions. They will be posted here. **

**Sincerely,**

**Princess Mariana**


End file.
